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Yemen ranked fourth among the countries with the highest murder rates of journalists and media staff worldwide during the 2016 year.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which represents 600.000 members in 140 countries, today published Initiates file downloada list of 93 journalists and media staff who were killed in 2016 in work-related incidents. A further 29 died in two plane crashes.
According to statistics published by IFJ today, Iraq has ranked first having the highest killing tally with 15, followed by Afghanistan with 13, Mexico with 11 and Yemen with 8 killings.
It also pointed out that the killings, including targeted murders, bomb attacks and crossfire incidents, span 23 countries in Africa, Asia, Pacific, the Americas and Europe as well as the Middle East and Arab World regions.
The IFJ explained that despite the fact that the figures for 2016 have been down, compared to the previous year where 112 journalists were killed in 2015, with decreases in killings in a number of countries including Honduras (1), Libya (2), the Philippines (3) and South Sudan (1).
However, Yemen, India, Pakistan, and Syria form another group that has seen no change or little in the number of killings for last year.
It has warned against complacency on the basis of reports , which point out to rising threats, intimidation and self-censorship as evidence that attacks on freedom of expression remain at critical levels.
Besides 93 targeted killings, 20 Brazilian sports reporters died in a plane crash over the city of Medellin in Colombia where - for the first time in many years- even one single killing was not recorded this year, compared to three listed in 2015. Nine Russian journalists were killed in a military plane crash.
“Any decrease in violence against journalists and media staff is always welcome but these statistics and the continued deliberate targeting of media workers in many incidents causing loss of life give little room for comfort nor ground for hope to see the end of the current media safety crisis. These levels of violence in media should spur into action all those committed to protecting journalists. There must be no Opens external link in new window impunity for those crimes. The IFJ and its affiliates around the world will redouble efforts to mobilize for credible steps to remove the shadow of violence over journalism,” said IFJ President Philippe Leruth.
The world's largest journalists' organization emphasized that the devastating terrorist attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo at the start of 2015, was mirrored by another attack in January 2016 aimed at causing massive loss of life in Afghanistan when the Taliban attacked a staff van of TOLO TV and killed seven journalists and support staff.
The IFJ compiles the annual list of journalists and media staff killed from information from its affiliates and other credible sources, after having established a clear or reasonable link between the killing and the professional activity of the victim. While every effort is made to consider all cases that are publicly known, the list does not pretend to include all killings of journalists and media staff.
The IFJ is aware of journalists who have gone missing and are feared killed but there is not enough information to determine that they have been killed. One case in point is the disappearance of Burundian journalist Jean Bigirimana whose whereabouts remain unknown almost six months after he went missing.
“The number of journalists and media staff killed for doing their work could be higher if it weren’t for lack of credible information on these missing cases and for the self-censorship by journalists in some countries to avoid drawing the unwelcome attention of crime barons. There is therefore urgency in pressing governments to investigate all forms of violence, including killings and disappearances in a speedy and credible manner to protect the physical integrity and professional independence of journalists,” added IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger.
According to IFJ records, the Arab World and Middle East has the highest killing tally with 30, followed by Asia Pacific with 28 killings, Latin America with 24, Africa 8 and Europe with just three killings.
